NDA Spotting the error previous year questions with solutions

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Collective noun 'jury' as unit

Each part was checked and passes: 'jury' acts as one body here ('delivered its verdict'), so singular 'has' and 'its' agree. 'deliberations' is acceptably plural. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Sum of money as singular

Each part was checked and passes: A sum of money is treated as a single amount, so 'Ten thousand dollars is the prize money' is right. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Agreement and apostrophe

Each part was checked and passes: 'guidance' (singular) takes 'facilitated'; 'Students' council' is correctly possessive; 'smooth conduct of elections' is idiomatic. No error.

Answer: (d) No Error

Method. Checking an open-condition sentence

Each part was checked and passes: 'If you want to know the news, you can read a newspaper' is correct. No error.

Answer: (d) No Error

Method. Negative with 'anybody'

Each part was checked and passes: 'didn't' with 'anybody' avoids a double negative; 'about her plans' fine. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Checking usage of 'amongst'

Each part was checked and passes: 'principal' (head) is spelt correctly; 'stressed the need for' and 'amongst' (variant of 'among') are correct. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Checking sentence logic and word forms

Each part was checked and passes: 'successive' used as adjective correctly; semicolon plus 'however' is right; 'are not' agrees with 'failures'. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Gerund phrase as subject

Each part was checked and passes: 'To be able to manage one's anger' is a valid infinitive subject; 'is' agrees; 'one's' / 'individual's' are correctly possessive. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Noun phrase and preposition usage

Each part was checked and passes: 'India is a country of … diversity with multiple ethnic and social groups' is grammatical and idiomatic. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Checking each part of a descriptive sentence

Each part was checked and passes: 'is the upper part of your body from the neck down to the bottom of the ribs and diaphragm' is grammatical; articles and prepositions are right. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Plural subject, present-perfect passive

Each part was checked and passes: 'uses' (plural) takes 'have been studied'; 'seldom' sits correctly between auxiliary and participle; 'outside India' is fine. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Checking clause structure

Each part was checked and passes: 'whether it is natural or human-induced' is a correct parenthetical clause; 'is stressful for the people' is acceptable. No error.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. correct sentence

'Has feet of clay' is an idiom meaning hidden faults; 'someone you admire' is a correct contact relative clause. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error

Method. correct sentence

Present perfect continuous 'has been doing' with 'everything for the family' is correct. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error

Method. correct sentence

'When learning to dive', 'it is important to relax', 'in between' used adverbially, all correct. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. correct sentence

'That of' replaces 'the price' and 'of yours' is a legitimate double possessive, so 'the price of my dress is higher than that of yours' is grammatical (the shorter 'than yours' is merely tighter). Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

'Than that of yours' compares price with price ('that' = the price, 'yours' = your dress), the form Wren & Martin prescribe for comparing like things; 'than yours' is also correct.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. 'many a' takes a singular verb

'Many a man has succumbed': singular noun and verb, as the rule requires. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. correct sentence

Caxton, a native of Kent, introduced printing into England under Edward IV; 'by William Caxton' correctly marks the agent. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. correct sentence

'A great part of Arabia is desert': singular 'part' with 'is'. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. correct sentence

'Could' for past ability, 'four miles' as object of 'run', 'at a stretch' (without a break) is the idiom. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error

Method. correct sentence

'An electrical circuit' (an before a vowel sound), 'is the complete path', 'traversed by electric current' (participle phrase): all parts pass. 'Electrical' for 'electric' is acceptable usage.

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. correct sentence

'As soon as the train arrived, the passengers entered the compartments': simple past in both clauses, the adverbial clause correct. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. correct sentence

'By bicycle' (means of travel, no article) and 'every day' are correct, and 'goes to his office' is right. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (a) Who among you has the answer?

Method. Case of the interrogative: 'who' as subject

'Who' is the subject of 'has'; 'whom' is for objects. 'among' (not 'amid', which is used for things not people).

No correct option. This question is defective as printed in UPSC's paper.

Method. Collective noun 'staff': no part is wrong

'Staff' as a collective noun takes a plural verb when its members act individually ('staff are working'); 'on the weekend' (AmE), 'so as not to delay' and 'any further' are all grammatical.

Four parts and no 'No error' option, but no part is demonstrably wrong: 'The project staff are working' is correct plural-collective use. If the setter intended 'staff' as a unit the key would be (a) 'is'; the question cannot print an answer.

Answer: (c) who plan his tactics

Method. Subject-verb agreement in a cleft sentence

The verb in 'who plan' agrees with its antecedent 'Ramesh' (singular): 'who plans his tactics'.

Answer: (b) jam common breakfast items

Method. Missing verb: 'are'

'Bread, butter and jam common breakfast items' has no main verb; it needs 'are common breakfast items'.

Answer: (b) layers of sediments builds up

Method. Subject-verb agreement: plural subject 'layers'

The subject 'layers' is plural, so the verb is 'build up', not 'builds up'.

Answer: (c) it's family planning program.

Method. its / it's

'it's' is 'it is'; the possessive is 'its family planning program'. (Part (b) 'did an about-face' is idiomatic.)

Answer: (a) Rahim was one of that

Method. Demonstrative: 'those' before a relative-type participle phrase

'one of that selected' is wrong; the plural 'those' is needed: 'one of those selected for the award'.

Answer: (c) have just moved into their cantonment.

Method. Collective noun 'company' taken as a unit: singular verb and pronoun

'A company … having marched … has just moved into its cantonment': the company moves as one body, so collective noun takes a singular verb and 'its' (jury/⁠company number rule). 'have … their' in (c) is wrong. 'of five thousand soldiers' is only a modifier.

Plural notional agreement ('company … have … their') is tolerated by some, but the unit action of moving in together fixes the singular.

Answer: (c) for their convictions.

Method. pronoun agreement with 'every'

'Every person' is singular, so the pronoun is 'his' (or 'his or her'), not 'their' (traditional rule, Wren & Martin). Less sure: singular 'they' is accepted in modern usage.

Answer: (a) The Olympic Games reflects

Method. Subject-verb agreement: plural subject 'Games'

'The Olympic Games' is plural in form and meaning (many events), so the verb is 'reflect'. 'reflects' is wrong.

Answer: (c) the spirit of tolerance in it’s people.

Method. its / it's

'it's' = 'it is'; the possessive of 'it' is 'its'. 'the spirit of tolerance in its people'. (Wren & Martin, pronouns)

Answer: (b) is to be able to realize ones dreams and ambitions

Method. one's (possessive of 'one')

'ones dreams' lacks the apostrophe; the possessive pronoun is 'one's' ('to realize one's dreams').

Answer: (c) starts on April every year.

Method. Preposition with months: 'in April'

Months take 'in' (in April), 'on' is for dates (on 5 April). 'starts on April' should be 'starts in April' (Wren & Martin, prepositions of time). Parts (a) and (b) are sound.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Agreement with the nearer subject after 'or'

With 'A or B′, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. The nearer subject is 'forces' (plural), so 'are trying' is right. Parts (a) and (b) are sound, so no error.

Answer: (a) The Eastern Ghats are home of 2600 plant species

Method. preposition: 'home to'

The Ghats 'are home to' many species; 'home of' is wrong. The other candidate, 'this habitat fragmentation', is not a rule violation: the demonstrative may refer back to the Ghats' habitat in the context, whereas 'home of' is a mistaken preposition.

Answer: (c) love to ride.

Method. 'every one' is singular

'Every one of the boys' takes a singular verb: 'loves to ride'. (Wren & Martin, concord.)

Answer: (b) seem

Method. 'neither … nor' verb agrees with the nearer subject

The nearer subject 'blame' is singular, so 'seems', not 'seem'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (b) are allowed

Method. subject–⁠verb agreement

The subject is 'a time slot' (singular; 'of fifteen minutes' is a modifier), so 'is allowed', not 'are allowed'.

Answer: (c) were at home.

Method. 'either' is singular

'Either of the brothers' takes a singular verb: 'was at home'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (c) who has written on this subject.

Method. relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent

'Who' refers to 'persons' (plural), so it needs 'have written', not 'has written'. (Wren & Martin, concord.)

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. collective noun 'jury' taken as plural

'Jury' takes a plural verb when its members act as individuals; 'individual verdicts' and 'their' show that sense, so 'were called' and 'their' agree. (Wren & Martin, collective nouns.) Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. 'as well as' does not change the number of the subject

The verb agrees with the first subject 'the owner' (singular): 'is honest'. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (b) that give it life, an identity, a quality

Method. subject–⁠verb agreement: 'the attention … that gives'

The relative 'that' refers to the singular 'attention', so the verb is 'gives', not 'give'. (c) 'that makes' is correctly singular. (Wren & Martin, concord with relative pronouns.)

Answer: (b) She insisted that he apologise immediately.

Method. Mandative subjunctive after 'insist' (demand)

After 'insist that' (a demand), the verb is the base form: 'he apologise'. (a) 'apologises' and (d) 'apologised' report a claim, not a demand; (c) 'may' is wrong.

Answer: (c) The police arrested the accused last night.

Method. Simple past with a past time adverbial

'last night' needs the simple past: 'The police arrested the accused last night.' (a), (b) are present perfect and (d) past perfect.

Answer: (d) The teacher had the students rewrite the essay.

Method. Causative 'have' + object + base verb

'had the students rewrite'. (a) 'made … to rewrite' wrongly adds 'to'; (b) 'has … to rewrite' is wrong; (c) 'get' takes a to-infinitive ('got the students to rewrite').

Answer: (c) I shall base my decision on how much free time I can manage.

Method. Indirect question word order and preposition 'on'

Indirect question takes statement order: 'how much free time I can manage'. 'Base … on' is the correct preposition. (a) inverted; (b) 'about'; (d) 'to'.

Answer: (d) Do not panic because the situation is under control.

Method. Logical conjunction and definite article

'because the situation is under control' is a causal clause with a definite reference: the situation known to the listener. (a) 'a situation' is illogical, (b) lacks verb, (c) 'however' is wrong.

Answer: (d) When I arrive, I will call you.

Method. No future 'will/⁠shall' in a time clause

In a clause beginning with 'when', the future is expressed with the simple present: 'When I arrive, I will call you.'

Answer: (d) driving test yesterday.

Method. Reported speech: time expression

In reported speech after 'said' (past), 'yesterday' becomes 'the previous day / the day before'. Part (d) is wrong.

Answer: (b) from faraway places to prayed

Method. Infinitive after 'to'

After 'to' the base verb is used: 'to pray', not 'to prayed'.

Answer: (c) it will be the best possible decision.

Method. Conditional: 'were to' with 'would'

'If you were to come' (unlikely condition) takes 'would' in the main clause: 'it would be the best possible decision'. 'will' is wrong.

Answer: (a) They had promised to delivered

Method. Infinitive after 'promised to'

After 'to' use the base verb: 'promised to deliver', not 'to delivered'.

Answer: (b) so I don't had to

Method. Auxiliary 'do' + base form: 'don't have to'

After 'don't' the verb is the base form 'have', not 'had': 'I don't have to get up early'.

Answer: (b) has an accident,

Method. Third conditional: would have + past participle

'wouldn't have' needs the participle 'had': 'wouldn't have had an accident'. 'has' is wrong.

Answer: (a) Sujini has met her old friend

Method. Sequence of past tenses: past perfect for the earlier action

'before she shifted' (simple past) shows the meeting was earlier; the earlier action takes past perfect: 'Sujini had met her old friend Guru before she shifted'.

Answer: (a) If you have asked me

Method. Conditional: if + past perfect, would have + participle

The main clause 'would have told' is third conditional, so the 'if' clause needs past perfect: 'If you had asked me'. 'have asked' is wrong.

Answer: (a) If I will be the millionaire

Method. Second conditional: if + past subjunctive; article

The main clause is 'would eradicate', so 'if' clause takes past: 'If I were a millionaire'. 'will be' is wrong (no 'will' in an if-clause); 'the millionaire' is also off.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Subject-verb agreement and tense consistency

Each part was checked and passes: 'level' (singular) takes 'is' and 'becomes'; both verbs are present tense; 'very high' and 'a health hazard' are idiomatic. No error.

Answer: (a) Early cities rely on food and water

Method. Consistency of tense

'Early cities' refers to the past and the contrast is with 'today', so the verb should be past: 'Early cities relied on …'. 'rely' is wrong.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. present for a fixed future

'I have the opportunity … next year' is acceptable (present tense of an arranged future). Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

'I have the opportunity' is present (the opportunity exists now); 'next year' belongs to 'to study', so 'will have' is not needed.

Answer: (c) as we do when we were 30.

Method. sequence of tenses: 'as we did when we were 30'

The main clause is present ('are not able') but the comparison clause needs the verb to match the action it stands for: 'as we did when we were 30'. 'Do' is wrong with the past 'when we were 30'.

Answer: (b) but becoming a great man,

Method. participle must show prior action: 'having become'

'But becoming a great man' is faulty: the sense is that he has become great, so 'but having become' (or 'now that he has become'). (Wren & Martin, participles.)

Answer: (a) If Ramesh will be promoted

Method. no 'will' in the 'if' clause

In a first conditional the 'if' clause takes the present: 'If Ramesh is promoted, he will get …'. (Swan.)

Answer: (d) No error.

Method. correct sentence

'Lost face' is an idiom, 'broke the pre-election promises' is standard ('break a promise'), and the relative clause 'he made to his people' is complete. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (b) have told

Method. 'ought not to have' + past participle for past obligation

'He did tell me' is past, and 'ought not to' referring to a past act needs the perfect infinitive: 'ought not to have told'. (Wren & Martin, modals.)

Answer: (c) was running

Method. past continuous for an action in progress at a past moment

'When we saw him last' fixes a past moment; he was in the middle of running to catch a bus: 'was running'. 'Had run' would put the running before the seeing; 'has run' is wrong tense. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (b) if I will be

Method. conditional of an unreal wish: 'if I were'

'I can fly if I were a bird' is the hypothetical, so 'if I will be' is wrong; 'will' never follows 'if' in a condition, and the unreal condition needs the subjunctive 'were' (with 'could fly'). Part (a) 'I can fly' is not the problem. (Wren & Martin, subjunctive.)

Answer: (a) He is a honest man

Method. Article 'an' before a silent h

'honest' starts with a vowel sound, so 'an honest man'. (b) and (c) are sound.

Answer: (a) He is considered as the brightest intellectual in the country

Method. Choosing the sentence with article, degree and number correct

(a) uses the superlative with 'the' and a singular noun for one person: correct. (b) and (c) are 'one among the brightest intellectual' (singular after plural-needed phrase) and 'one among the brighter' (superlative needed). (d) 'one of the intellectual' needs a plural.

'considered as' is common; strict usage omits 'as' but all four options share it, so (a) is the only one right otherwise.

Answer: (a) No other mountain is taller than the Himalayas

Method. Comparative with 'than'

(a) 'No other mountain is taller than the Himalayas' is correct. (b) 'tall than' is positive degree; (c) drops 'is'; (d) 'then' is a time word.

Answer: (a) After reading foreword of

Method. Definite article

'foreword of the book' is a specific part of a specific book: 'the foreword of the book'.

Answer: (a) I will watch film

Method. Missing article

'film' is a singular countable noun; it needs an article: 'I will watch a film' (or 'the film').

Answer: (b) to be one of the old monument

Method. 'one of the' + plural noun

After 'one of the', the noun must be plural: 'one of the old monuments'. ('old monument' is wrong.)

No correct option. This question is defective as printed in UPSC's paper.

Method. Two faulty parts: 'a honest' and 'as basic right'

Part (b): 'honest' has a silent h, so 'an honest livelihood'. Part (c): 'as basic right' needs an article, 'as a basic right'. Both are errors in standard grammar.

Both (b) 'a honest' and (c) 'as basic right' (missing article) are errors, so two options are correct; the likely intended key is (b), but the sentence is defective as printed. Repairing (b) alone still leaves (c); repairing both makes the sentence correct with (d) 'No error'.

Answer: (a) Once considered ninth planet of the solar system,

Method. Definite article before ordinal

An ordinal in a unique sequence takes 'the': 'Once considered the ninth planet'. Part (c) already has 'the largest', and (b) is fine.

Answer: (a) A honest mistake

Method. Article 'an' before a vowel sound

'honest' begins with a silent h, so the sound is a vowel: 'An honest mistake'. (Wren & Martin, articles)

Answer: (b) some armful of medicines and

Method. Quantifier with 'armful': 'an armful'

'Armful' is a singular countable noun; 'some' cannot stand before it. It must be 'an armful of medicines' (or 'some medicines'). (Wren & Martin, determiners)

Answer: (b) daughter-in-laws

Method. plural of compound nouns

The plural puts -s on the main noun: 'daughters-in-law'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (d) No error

Method. correct sentence

'A fast-moving current that sweeps down … carrying sand and mud' is correct: singular verb for 'current', participle phrase fine. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (c) five day week.

Method. compound adjective needs a hyphen and an article: 'a five-day week'

'Five day week' lacks the article 'a' and the hyphen; the phrase should be 'a five-day week' (day singular as part of a compound modifier). (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (a) One of most widely spread

Method. superlative with 'the'

'One of the most widely spread …' needs 'the' before 'most'. (Wren & Martin, articles.)

Answer: (c) a honest man.

Method. 'an' before a vowel sound

'Honest' begins with a silent h, so 'an honest man', not 'a honest man'. (Wren & Martin, articles.)

Answer: (c) as the greater of all modern architects.

Method. superlative needed: 'the greatest of all'

'Of all' compares with many, so the superlative 'greatest' is required; 'greater' (comparative) is for two. (Wren & Martin, degrees of comparison.)

Answer: (a) He waved us a by-by

Method. spelling of the noun 'bye-bye'

The farewell is 'bye-bye' (or 'goodbye'); 'by-by' is not a word. (b) 'as he boarded the train' and (c) 'which disappeared into the tunnel' are correct.

'By-by' is a misspelling of 'bye-bye' and is the only fault; the grammar of the sentence is otherwise sound, so if UPSC's original printed 'bye-bye' the answer would be (d).

Answer: (a) There was great deal that had to be scrapped, that must be scrapped;

Method. missing article: 'a great deal'

'There was great deal' lacks 'a': 'a great deal'. (b) and (c) are correct.

The sentence is Nehru's, quoted with the article 'a' removed to make the error.

Answer: (c) a pair of spectacles

Method. 'spectacles' as a plural noun needs 'a pair of'

'Spectacles' is a pair-noun: use 'a pair of spectacles'. 'A spectacle' means a show; 'two spectacles' misuses the noun.

The retyped sentence has no subject ('Last evening went …', 'I′ dropped); answered as printed on the underlined part only.

Answer: (d) that reflects the rich heritage of craftmanship.

Method. Relative pronoun agreement

'that reflects' has the plural antecedent 'fabrics', so 'that reflect'. (The spelling 'craftmanship' for 'craftsmanship' is also in part (d).)

Answer: (b) create up the number of days

Method. Phrasal verb 'make up'

'Make up' (constitute) is the phrasal verb; 'create up' is not English. 'make up the number of days'.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Checking noun phrases and prepositions

Each part was checked and passes: 'felicitated the students' is correct; 'in the prize distribution ceremony' is acceptable. No error.

'at the ceremony' is the commoner preposition, but 'in' is not an error.

Answer: (c) from a process called condensation.

Method. Preposition with 'process': 'by a process'

A change is brought about 'by' a process: 'by a process called condensation'. 'from' is wrong.

Answer: (c) on 1492.

Method. Preposition with years: 'in 1492'

Years take 'in', not 'on' (on is for dates/⁠days). 'in 1492'.

Answer: (c) the stars in the night.

Method. 'at night' / 'in the night sky'

The standard idiom is 'at night' or 'in the night sky'; 'in the night' is non-idiomatic here. 'the stars at night'.

Some usage guides allow 'in the night' (= during a given night); the ruling follows the idiom 'at night'.

Answer: (a) Amit told to Divya

Method. 'tell' takes an indirect object without 'to'

'Amit told Divya' (tell + person); 'say to' is the form with 'to' ('said to Divya'). 'told to' is wrong.

Answer: (b) for different directions,

Method. Preposition: 'progress in different directions'

Progress is made 'in' a direction, not 'for'. 'in different directions'.

Answer: (c) comprising of movable property.

Method. 'comprise' is transitive

'Comprising movable property', not 'comprising of'. (Dictionary and usage.)

Answer: (c) tried to stay clear from the imperial Government.

Method. 'clear of'

The phrase is 'stay clear of', not 'clear from'. (Idiom.)

Answer: (a) He began his discussion by pointing over

Method. phrasal verb 'point out'

To indicate something is 'point out', not 'point over'. (Swan.)

Answer: (b) comprises of six houses,

Method. 'comprise' is transitive

'Comprise' takes a direct object, so 'comprises six houses', not 'comprises of'. (Dictionary and usage.)

Answer: (b) to meet

Method. 'look forward to' + gerund

'To' here is a preposition, so 'to meeting you', not 'to meet'. (Swan.)

Answer: (b) cope up

Method. 'cope with'

'Cope' takes 'with' only: 'cope with this pressure'. 'Cope up' is not standard.

Answer: (c) by walk.

Method. idiom 'on foot'

'By walk' is wrong; one comes 'on foot' (or 'by walking'). (Wren & Martin, idioms.)

Answer: (c) in your watch?

Method. 'by your watch'

The idiom is 'What is the time by your watch?'; 'in your watch' is wrong. (Idiom.)

Answer: (c) than Mediterranean food.

Method. 'prefer X to Y′

'Prefer' takes 'to', not 'than': 'prefer seafood to Mediterranean food'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (b) discussing about

Method. 'discuss' takes no preposition

'Discuss' is transitive: 'discussing the issue', not 'discussing about'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (a) Dispose off

Method. 'dispose of'

The phrasal verb is 'dispose of' (get rid of); 'dispose off' is wrong. (Dictionary.)

Answer: (a) He had arrived at Cairo

Method. 'arrive in' a large city

'Arrive at' is for small places or points; 'arrive in' is used for a large city or country (Wren & Martin), so 'arrived in Cairo'. The conjunction use of 'before' in (c) is acceptable.

Less sure: key may treat (a) as no error and see fault elsewhere; 'before protests' without 'the' is acceptable so (a) chosen.

Answer: (c) he dictated answers with them.

Method. preposition: 'dictated … to them'

One dictates answers 'to' the clerk; 'with them' is wrong. The participles in (a) and (b) are correctly parallel.

Answer: (a) From thirty years

Method. 'for' with a period of time

'For thirty years' states duration; 'from' needs a starting point ('from 1990'). (Wren & Martin, prepositions of time.)

Answer: (b) to

Method. 'prefer X to Y′

'Prefer' takes 'to', not 'than' or 'rather than', before the thing rejected: 'preferred death to imprisonment'. (Wren & Martin, prepositions after verbs.)

Answer: (c) look it up

Method. phrasal verb 'look up' = consult

To consult a dictionary is 'look up'. 'Look after' means take care of; 'look out'/⁠'look for' do not mean consult. (Swan.)

Answer: (b) to avail myself of

Method. 'avail' is reflexive: 'avail oneself of'

'Avail' used of an opportunity takes a reflexive object and 'of': 'avail myself of a holiday'. 'To avail of' lacks the reflexive; 'to avail myself' lacks 'of'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (c) and sharply commented.

Method. verb 'comment' needs 'on'

'Commented' here is passive; the verb requires 'on': 'sharply commented on'. Parts (a) and (b) are correct ('far from being appreciated'; 'was discussed'). (Wren & Martin, prepositions.)

Answer: (a) Although it was raining, we had the picnic.

Method. Correlatives: 'although' needs no 'yet/⁠still/⁠even then'

Although already marks concession, so the main clause does not need 'still', 'yet' or 'even then' (redundancy). (a) is the clean sentence.

'Although … yet' is listed as a correlative by Wren & Martin, so (c) is sometimes accepted; (a) is the only sentence correct under every grammar.

Answer: (b) No sooner had he reached the station than the train left.

Method. 'No sooner had … than' with inversion

'No sooner' takes inversion of auxiliary and subject, and 'than' (comparative). 'No sooner had he reached the station than …'. (a) lacks inversion; (c) wrong order; (d) 'then'.

Answer: (b) Scarcely had I arrived at the airport when the plane departed.

Method. 'Scarcely/⁠Hardly had … when' with inversion

'Hardly/⁠scarcely' go with 'when', not 'than' or 'then', and need inversion. (b) is right; (a) 'than', (c) no inversion, (d) 'then'.

Answer: (c) other people don’t have problems too.

Method. 'either' in a negative addition

After a negative clause the addition takes 'either': 'other people don't have problems either'; 'too' is for affirmatives. (Swan.)

Answer: (b) but he is

Method. redundant conjunction

'Though … but' is a double conjunction; omit 'but': 'Though he is poor, he is honest'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (b) lest you do not

Method. 'lest' contains a negative

'Lest you fail' means so that you may not fail; adding 'do not' makes a double negative. (Wren & Martin, 'lest'.)

Answer: (c) and never you will get it back.

Method. adverb position: 'you will never get it back'

'Never' goes after the auxiliary: 'you will never get it back'. Inversion ('never will you') would be needed if 'never' stayed first, but 'never you will' is wrong.

Answer: (b) expressed doubt if

Method. 'doubt whether', not 'doubt if'

In an affirmative statement 'doubt' takes 'whether' (or 'that' in the negative): 'expressed doubt whether the Minister was an atheist'. 'If' is the conversational form; the standard grammar prefers 'whether'. (Wren & Martin.)

Answer: (c) or grow up enough to stick to truth or non-violence.

Method. parallel structure: 'have not evolved or grown up'

'Have not evolved' and the second verb must share the perfect form: 'or grown up'. 'Grow up' breaks the parallel. (Swan, parallelism.)

Answer: (a) as for

Method. correlative 'not so much … as'

'Not so much A as B′ is the fixed pair; 'but' cannot replace 'as'. 'as for' completes it: 'not so much for his meanness as for his dishonesty'. (b) and (c) keep 'but'. (Wren & Martin, correlatives.)

Answer: (b) I have

Method. inversion after a negative adverb

A sentence opening with 'Never' needs auxiliary before subject: 'Never have I seen such a town'. (b) 'I have' has the wrong order. (Swan, inversion.)

Answer: (b) affects of the handloom

Method. Confusable words: affect / effect

'Affects' is a verb; the noun 'effects' (results) is needed: 'ecological effects of the handloom sector'.

Answer: (c) an animal is called sharing.

Method. Confusable words: shearing / sharing

Removing wool from a sheep is 'shearing'. 'sharing' (dividing with others) is wrong.

Answer: (c) raising every time we fall.

Method. Confusable verbs: rise / raise

'Raise' needs an object; the intransitive 'rise' is meant (get up). 'but in rising every time we fall'.

Answer: (d) No error

Method. Checking a proverb

Each part was checked and passes: 'A bird in hand is better than two in the bush' is the standard proverb. No error.

Answer: (b) effect the tendency

Method. Confusable words: affect (verb) / effect (noun)

'Effect' is a noun (or the verb 'bring about'); the verb meaning 'influence' is 'affect'. 'Why does the lapse rate affect the tendency …' (Swan, affect/⁠effect).

Answer: (c) he refused it point out.

Method. idiom 'point-blank'

The idiom is 'he refused it point-blank' (flatly); 'point out' is wrong here.

Retyped page prints 'point out' (probably 'point-blank'); answered as printed.

Answer: (c) found Shantiniketan.

Method. wrong verb form: 'founded'

'Found' means discover (past 'found'); the sense is establish, whose past is 'founded'. (Dictionary.)

Answer: (b) owns the race,

Method. wrong word: 'wins' the race

The proverb is 'slow and steady wins the race'. 'Owns' is the wrong verb for a race. (Idiom.)

Answer: (d) No error

Method. correct sentence

'A small parcel of novels is better than none': the singular subject 'parcel' takes 'is'; 'none' stands for 'no novels'. Each part was checked and passes, so (d).

Answer: (b) secret

Method. adjective as complement of 'kept'

'Kept the idea secret' means held it as a secret; 'secret' is an adjective complement. The adverb 'secretly' modifies the verb's manner and does not fit here, and 'secretive' means given to concealing. (Swan.)

Answer: (a) at home

Method. idiom 'at home'

'Stay at home' is the idiom; 'in their home' is not idiomatic here and 'inside home'/⁠'within their home' are worse. (Wren & Martin, idioms.)

Answer: (c) cut a sorry figure

Method. idiom 'cut a sorry figure'

The idiom is 'cut a sorry figure' (look pitiful). 'Made a sorry figure' is not the idiom; 'cut a sorry face' is meaningless; 'sad figure' is not the idiom. (Idiom dictionary.)